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Your plantar fascia is the ligament that extends from the heel of your foot to the ball of your foot. If your foot flattens too much or too little as you move, you may strain your plantar fascia. While the vast majority of people with plantar fascia pain can be helped with nonsurgical treatments, surgery can be considered if these treatments fail.

With hammertoes, one or more toes curl or bend abnormally. This can be caused by an inherited muscle problem, an abnormal bone length, or poor foot mechanics. There are many nonsurgical treatments for hammertoes, but if these are not effective, you may want to consider surgery.

A curled fifth toe is most often inherited. When the fifth toe curls inward, it moves under the next toe. Then the nail of the curled toe starts to face outward. As a result, you may bear weight on the side of your toe instead of the bottom. This can cause corns and painful nails. There are many nonsurgical treatments available. But if these are not effective, surgery is a choice.

Tight shoes and high heels can place extra pressure on the ball of your foot, causing neuromas and calluses. A neuroma is an inflamed nerve. It can cause pain, numbness, or burning. A plantar callus is a buildup of hard skin on the ball of the foot. The callus may feel like a stone in your shoe. There are many nonsurgical treatments for neuromas and calluses, but if these are not helpful, surgery may be considered.

To help the bone heal properly, you may need to wear a cast. If you do, always keep it dry. Your healthcare provider will tell you whether you can bear weight on your foot while it heals. They may also prescribe a surgical shoe for you to wear.

Learn more about acupuncture, an ancient form of Chinese medicine. Behind this treatment is the belief that energy (or life force, called Qi) flows through your body. Improving that flow improves your health.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is sometimes called shock therapy. This may sound painful, but ECT doesn't hurt. It's often the safest and best treatment for severe depression. It can treat other mental disorders as well.

Children and young teens are most likely to use inhalants. That's because inhalants are legal and easy to get. In fact, you may have many of them in your home right now. Yet these common items can seriously affect your child's health. In some cases, they may be fatal. Learn the warning signs of inhalant abuse. You may help save your child's life.

Because inhalants are often common household items, they are hard to control. Learn what to do if your child is abusing inhalants.